Boot-hook.



No. 862,986. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

' J. MOORE.

BOOT HOOK.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 25, 1906.

WITNESSES xnvzm'ron yaw J. MO0RE ATT'Y' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MOORE, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMASFLEMING, OF OTTAWA, CANADA.

BOOT-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 25, 1906- Serial No. 313.863.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES MooRE, of the town of Stratford, in the Stateof Connecticut, machinist, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Boot-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hooks oi the type employed tohold the lace on boots and shoes and the objects of my invention are toprovide a simple form of hook of this type having means on the un dersurface thereof for taking up the slack in the lace hooked around itwhereby the lace will be held fiat in position and will completely fillup the space between the base and the hook proper thus preventing thehook from becoming entangled in a ladys skirt or other fabric with whichit comes in contact; and it consists essentially of the improvementshereinafter described and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my hook. Fig. 2 is a top view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview with the lace in position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through Fig.4. Fig. 6 indicates a 'lace alone when bent. Fig. 7 is a sectional viewthrough an alternative form of hook. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of astill further modified form. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through theform shown in Fig. 8 between the hook and base thereof.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

a is the base of the hook oi the usual form and by means of which thehook is adapted to be riveted to the boot or shoe on which it is used.

I) is the hook proper which is preferably as shown, formed integral withthe base. The top of this is preferably flat as shown and the space 0between the hook and the base is made somewhat narrower than in theordinary form of hook. Downwardly stamped out from the top of the hookis a wedge-shaped projection (Z the lower face e of the wedge beingdownwardly and rearwardly inclined. The hook is attached to the boot inthe ordinary manner and the lace hooked around it.

Fig. 6 shows approximately the form of the lace f when bent as it wouldbe around the hook. It will be observed that at the bending point 9 acertain amount of slack is left in the lace and with the ordinary formof hook this slack will become wrinkled and will destroy entirely thedesirable flat form of the lace. In my hook however, this slack istakenup by the wedgeshaped projection which fills it out and thus causesthe whole lace to lie flat and retain its shape. An additional advantageis secured by having the lace held fiat in this manner since the spacebetween the hook and the base may be made so narrow that the lace willcompletely fill it up and so there will be no part of the hookprojecting to catch in a ladys skirt or other loose material with whichit comes in contact.

In the form shown in Fig. 7 the projection 11 instead of being stampedout is formed integral with the hook or swaged thereon.

In the form shown in Fig. 8 the edges 70 of the connecting portion Z ofthe hook extending between the top I) and the base a are turned inwardlywhich will narrow the width of the connecting piece Z and so prevent thelace irom coming in contact therewith. The wear on the lace will by thismeans be saved considerably.

While I have described with great particularity of detail certainspecific embodiments of my invention yet it is not to be understoodtherefrom that the invention is limited thereto as certain changes mightbe made in the construction within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing irom the spirit of my invention.

IVhat I claim as my invention is:

An improved boot hook comprising a suitable base, a hook integraltherewith having a projecting lug on the undersurface thereof which isformed with a gradually enlarged, downwardly extending rear portionadapted to fit on the inside of the lace secured around the hook andfill the slack therein as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, this 20th day of April,1906.

JAMES MOORE.

Witnesses RUSSEL S. SMART, MAY LYON.

